How to Install WordPress in cPanel
To install WordPress in cPanel, open Softaculous Apps Installer, choose WordPress, click Install, select https and your domain, leave Directory blank and set your admin login. Without Softaculous, create a MySQL database, upload WordPress.org's files to public_html with File Manager and run the browser installer. It worked when /wp-admin shows the dashboard.
For site owners and freelancers setting up WordPress on a cPanel hosting account for the first time.
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- 4 min
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- 6
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
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- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
What do you need before installing WordPress in cPanel?
You need a cPanel hosting account, a domain pointed at it (or the temporary URL), a supported PHP 8 version selected for that domain, and an email address you can open for the admin account. Softaculous, if your host includes it, handles the database and files for you.
- Panel access: see how to access cPanel if you have not logged in yet.
- PHP: pick a current PHP 8 release in MultiPHP Manager, as WordPress.org's requirements page recommends.
- Database: MySQL or MariaDB, included on cPanel plans.
- Empty document root: remove any placeholder index file so the new site is not hidden behind it.
WebJi® cPanel hosting includes Softaculous, AutoSSL, MultiPHP and JetBackup. The Webji Launch, Turbo and Scale shared plans use ControlPanel.Systems instead, with its own one-click WordPress deploy, so the menus below apply to cPanel accounts.
Which method should you use to install WordPress in cPanel?
Use Softaculous for a two-minute install, the manual File Manager method when no installer is available, and WP-CLI over SSH when you want a repeatable, scriptable install. All three produce the same WordPress.
| Method | Database | Time | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softaculous | Created automatically | About 2 minutes | Most installs |
| File Manager + browser installer | You create it in MySQL Databases | 10–15 minutes | No auto-installer on the account |
| WP-CLI over SSH | You create it, then script the rest | A few commands | Developers, staging copies, many sites |
How do you install WordPress with Softaculous?
Open Softaculous Apps Installer → WordPress → Install, choose https and your domain, leave Directory blank, set an admin username other than "admin" and click Install. Softaculous creates the database, writes wp-config.php and prints the admin URL.
- In cPanel, under Software, open Softaculous Apps Installer and click the WordPress icon, then Install.
- Set Choose Protocol to
https://and select the domain. - Leave In Directory empty so the site loads at the domain root, not
/wp/. - Enter the site name, a unique admin username, a long password and a working email.
- Click Install and wait for the success screen with the admin URL.
You are done when a private window shows the default theme on your domain and /wp-admin accepts the login. If Softaculous shows an error, send the exact message to support; do not start a second copy in another folder.
How do you install WordPress manually with File Manager?
Create a database and user, upload the WordPress zip from WordPress.org into the document root, move the files out of the "wordpress" folder, then run the browser installer with your database details.
- In MySQL Databases, create a database and a user, then add the user to the database with All Privileges. Note the full names, including the account prefix (for example
acct_wp). - Download the latest zip from WordPress.org, open File Manager, go to
public_html(or the addon domain's folder), upload and extract it. - Open the new
wordpressfolder, select all files, and move them up intopublic_html. - Visit the domain; the installer asks for database name, username, password, host (
localhoston most cPanel accounts) and table prefix. - Set the site title and admin account, then log in.
If the installer cannot connect, one of the four database values is wrong; the database connection error guide checks each.
How do you install WordPress with WP-CLI over SSH?
Many cPanel servers include WP-CLI; after creating the database in cPanel, three commands download WordPress, write wp-config.php and complete the install. Enable SSH access in cPanel first if your plan allows it.
cd ~/public_html
wp core download
wp config create --dbname=acct_wp --dbuser=acct_wpuser --dbpass='STRONG_PASSWORD' --dbhost=localhost
wp core install --url=https://example.in --title="Example Traders" \
--admin_user=ex_owner --admin_email=owner@example.in
# WP-CLI prints a generated admin password if you omit --admin_passwordCheck the result with wp core version and wp option get siteurl.
What should you do right after installing WordPress?
Set permalinks to Post name, confirm HTTPS works, delete the sample content, and install only the theme and plugins you need. These five minutes avoid most first-week problems.
- Permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Post name → Save.
- HTTPS: if the padlock is missing, run AutoSSL under SSL/TLS Status, then confirm both WordPress Address and Site Address use https.
- Clean-up: delete "Hello world", the sample page and unused default themes.
- Theme: follow installing a WordPress theme.
- Backup: take a first full backup before adding content.
Why did the WordPress install in cPanel not work?
The usual causes are a filled-in Directory field, files left inside a wordpress subfolder, a leftover placeholder index page, or wrong database values.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Site loads at /wp/ or /wordpress/ | Directory field filled, or files not moved up | Reinstall with Directory blank, or move the files |
| Domain still shows the host's default page | Placeholder index.html in public_html | Delete the placeholder file |
| "Error establishing a database connection" | Wrong name, user, password or host | Recheck values, including the prefix |
| Padlock missing or mixed content | SSL not issued yet, or site URL on http | Run AutoSSL and update both URLs to https |
| "Already installed" message | An existing install in that folder | Use /wp-login.php and reset the password |
Still stuck? Email support@webji.services with the step and the exact message; replies come 24/7 in Hindi and English, on average within 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install WordPress on an addon domain or subdomain in cPanel?
Yes. In Softaculous choose that domain or subdomain from the list; for a manual install, upload into the document root cPanel shows for it under Domains. Each site gets its own database and admin login.
Is Softaculous WordPress different from WordPress.org?
No. Softaculous installs the same open-source WordPress from WordPress.org and adds optional extras such as automatic updates and backups in its own interface. You can manage the site normally from wp-admin afterwards.
Should I let Softaculous auto-update WordPress?
Minor security releases should update automatically. For major versions on a business site, take a backup first, or test on a staging copy, because a theme or plugin may not be ready on release day.
How do I install WordPress on a domain that does not point to the host yet?
You can install in advance, but the site will only load at that domain once DNS points to the server. To preview earlier, edit your computer's hosts file to map the domain to the server IP for testing.
Steps checked against cPanel, Softaculous and WP-CLI documentation · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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